Patent GB-594014-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to prepayment mechanisms
IPC: G07F15/04
Filed: 1945-03-19
Abstract: 594,014. Coin-freed apparatus. SANGAMO WESTON, Ltd., and WESTON, G. E. March 19, 1945, No. 6901. [Class 27] Prepayment mechanism, associated for example with an electricity meter, is so constructed that the return to the user of rejected coins only occurs after one or more acceptable coins have been inserted. In this way, frivolous repeated operation of the mechanism by a reject is prevented Immediate return of a first, or other limited number of rejects may, however, be provided for. Means may also be provided for putting the mechanism out of action, until attended to by an official, if more than a certain number of rejects have been inserted. Coin action, weight and multiple coin; testing coins.-In the mechanism shown, Figs. 1 and 3, which accepts coins of three denominations, an inserted coin passes to a coin pocket 21, which is mounted on a rock shaft 10, and has a separate base 26 carried by spaced arms 27, 28 free to pivot on shaft 10. On entering the pocket, the coin pushes aside an incline 66 which closes contacts 56, mounted in jewelled bearings, to eriergise a motor driving a pair of intergeared actuating shafts 11 and 12. Holding contacts maintain the motor circuit after release of the coin until the shafts have made a complete revolution. Shaft 12 has a snail cam 48 engaged by a finger 47 loose on a cross-shaft 17 and connected by a spring 49 with a caliper lever 25 fast on the cross-shaft. Soon after the shaft 12 commences rotation, the snail cam releases the finger 47 and caliper lever 25 which is thereupon moved rearwardly by a spring 52 so that a pin 24 on it enters side slots 23 in the coin pocket and thrusts the coin edgewise against the end wall. A second pin 46 on the caliper lever simultaneously slides a multi-section gear 35, with different numbers of teeth in each section, rearwardly along the shaft 11 so that the appropriate section is brought into mesh with a credit registering wheel 37. Consequently, as the shaft 11 completes its revolution, gear 35 rotates the wheel 37 an amount appropriate to the value of the coin in the pocket. This only occurs if the coin is of a predetermined diameter in which case an apertured disc 43, integral with the gear 35, registers with one of a series of clearance apertures 34 in a gauge plate 33. If it is not, the disc 43 fouls and rocks the gauge plate which tilts the coin pocket to release the coin, and this allows the caliper lever 25 its full rearward movement which carries the gear 35 out of range of the wheel 37 so that no credit is registered. in either case, the disc 43 is held by the gauge plate until the completion of one revolution when an apertured part of the disc comes up to the gauge plate so that it snaps back to its normal position shown against spring 52 and under the action of spring 49 which has been stressed by the snail cam depressing finger 47. Coin discharging mechanism ; returning coins.-As indicated above, a rejected coin is discharged by rocking of the coin pocket (anticlockwise) about shaft 10 so that the coin falls to the right of the base 26 and of a partition (not shown) for return to the operator. A correct coin is released at the completion of rotation of shafts 11 and 12 when a pin 55 on the connecting gear 15 rocks an extension 30 of the arm 28 supporting the coin pocket base 26 which is thus moved downwardly and sideways to release the coin to the left of the partition and to the till. The‹ mechanism provided by the invention for controlling return of rejects comprises a wheel 90, Fig 11, similar to the credit wheel 37, arranged to be turned against a spring 93 by the gear 35 when in its rearmost non-crediting position. Wheel 90 through a cam 92 and connecting mechanism 97, 100, 101, 102, rocks a slotted drum 104 to close the coin return chute. Consequently a first reject is returned at once and drum 104 then turned to hold back any subsequent ones. The mechanism may be made to return at once more than the first only of a succession of rejects by providing a lost-motion connection between the drum 104 and its actuating member 102. Means for releasing the retained rejects comprises an arm 109, turning with the locating pawl 39 for the credit wheel 37, and arranged to release a retaining pawl 96 for the wheel 90. When an acceptable coin is next inserted, the consequent rotation of the credit wheel rocks pawl 96 to release wheel 90 which is returned by its spring 93 so that the drum 104 is turned back to release the rejects. If return of rejects is to be conditional upon insertion of coins to a higher value than the lowest taken by the mechanism, the pawl 96 is tripped by a suitably toothed wheel turning with the credit wheel 37 instead of by the credit wheel itself. In a further modification, Fig. 14 (not shown), the drum 104 is positioned normally to close the return chute so that all rejects are held back, the drum being rocked periodically to release them by a pin on the credit wheel or by the teeth of the credit wheel. To put the mechanism out of action after a certain number of rejects have accumulated, a pin 94 a, Fig. 11, on the wheel 90 engages and depresses a rod 111 after it has been rotated a predetermined amount. The rod 111 separates the main holding contacts 74, 75 of the driving motor so that they cannot be closed by the cam 81 on the actuating shaft 12. No further coins can then be passed through the mechanism until it has been attended to by an official. Fraud, preventing.-Coins attached to threads are trapped beneath the coin pocket base immediately they have been accepted and released, and cannot therefore be drawn back. Specifiction 492,649 is referred to.